Bend Weekly Community ForumsWelcome to BendWeekly.com Discussion Board. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the "FAQ" by clicking the link below. You may have to register before you can post: click the "register" link below to proceed.

..... I passed this SENIOR's section and could not believe there were no posts yet. In case folks need someone else to be first, so they won't feel so shy, here goes ;

..... Most of my life I'm been in conversations with someone who always brings up issues about their sickness or prolonged illness or how their life has become so terrable with a chronic ailment, ...and some who simply can't find a way to cope with some ailment that they see as the worst fate anyone ever had, and see themselbes as ther ONLY person on earth suffering in such a manner, ... Yet so many-many others would see those problems as NOT a problem at all, just minor issues to work-around, when compared to their own medical ailments !

..... People too frequently tend to focus upon some 'defect' so intently that they allow it to manifest into some psychological disorder that drags them down into a never-endless spiral pitty-party of excuses about what they CAN NOT DO ... Yet they can't see the opportunity that such extra time has given them to do the many other things in life,... and to not continue being so selfish by extending their help to others in the community far less fortunate than they are.

..... If someone thinks their life is over just because they have some terminal problem, ... Before they go stroke out from worry, they need make a list of things they CAN DO,... then create opportunities to do something with their remaining life. As their biggest enemy is stagnation, surrendering to their worry, and giving up to something that their family, co-workers and fair-weather friends may actually view in such distaste that they avoid them more and more like they had a contagious disease !

..... A person can really count their true friends and loyal family members when seariously effected by a prolonged or everlasting terminal ailment.

..... But if they can walk unaided,... they have NO problem, (when compared to others), ... just walk as much as they can exercise, keep their Doctor appointments and 'go enjoy life' as long as they can.

..... If they can walk okay but need oxygen,... then they may ONLY need figure ways to insure they have MORE oxygen with them than they will ever need, ... walk all they can,... and then simply 'go enjoy life'.

..... If they are mostly homebound but can walk unaided,... Keep walking at every opportunity, or make opportunities to walk more often,... Start an outdoor Garden reachable by intervals of yard chairs to rest in,... or an indoor Window Garden,... Order some books, ... Make a schedule of friends and family to routinely call weekly, Make a project of finding ways to contact old childhood friends and write or call or e-mail them, ... and make a list of things to do..... JUST STAY BUSY.

..... If they are always homebound, on Oxygen, sometimes weak but can sit a long time, ... Get an Internet ready Computer,... Play music,... Write a Book about anything, even their own life, and if no one wants it, just donate it to the Ball State Historical Archives,...

..... If they are homebound, on a high amount of Oxygen, like 4 or 6 Liter of Oxygen 24/7/365, and can't get around without a cane or walker,... Do ?sit-down? Hobbies,... Consider an Internet attached Computer, ?or if that is not affordable do a Family Tree on a regular computer or written on notebook pages, ... and sometime call somebody on a regular basis..., Consider helping with a civic project or neighborhood event that can be done from home, such as being a Calling-Tree Person, as thet will sure put them in contact with alot of people to talk to, .... BUT STAY BUSY.

..... If they are BEDFAST but can move from the waist up ; Read, ...Listen to Short-wave Radio an hour a day and list the foreign broadcasts you monitored,... Write a Manuscript or Journal the same hour each day,.... Draw something, ... Water Color paint pictures,... Position a set of Binoculars on a piece of yarn / rope in case they fall and set them nearby so you can see down the street and bring things closer,... Copy Family Food Receipts for younger generations of the family,... BUT DON'T GIVE UP !

..... Life is too precious of as blessing to simply give it up...., as many of us already realize when wakeing up to see the sunlight signaling God's Blessing of another day.

Granted, good points. It applies to everybody, not just seniors. Irritates the heck out of me that I had perfect vision and now can't read a book or a menu without glasses, stop mowing when the front yard is done until the next day because I'm worn out. Life is good regardless. I'd rather put on the specs and take a nap after mowing than consider the alternative.

Irritates the heck out of me that I had perfect vision and now can't read a book or a menu without glasses, stop mowing when the front yard is done until the next day because I'm worn out.

..... Me too, I always enjoyed working on tiny things, as well as highly intricate double and triple-lined fancy calligraphy, so that was a real slap in the face when faced with medical delimas that I manged to live through but lost the micro-vision capability along with gaining other problems.
..... But once I was able to step back and look at the eye sight problem I formulated several alternative angles of approach at dealing with it.
..... So try this one ; ( 1. ) Every time you see those magnification glasses on sale, and you see a pair you like, snatch'um up and toss them in your cart. ( 2. ) Then keep buying them, because part three of this project is to "Idoit Proof" the plan by also removing the 'older' human eliment of forgetfulness. ( 3. ) So, each time you get home, check the new pair out against what you already have. Then put the extra(s) here and there, everyplace you ever go spend time inside or outside your home,...and don't forget the visor of your car and a spare pair in the Glove Box, Tool Box and Tackle Box. FINISHED !
..... And if they start gathering dust before you ever need them again, that's what God gave us shirt tails and blouse tails for, to clean the lens off with......, So don't bother freting about that dust like it's some kind of real problem at all, ..or worry about scratching the lens,.. or go dashing back inside looking for that evasive box of Kleenex, .. or the Bottle of Windex you left but now can't find somewhere around the Kitchen Sink,.. or those K-mart Chinese made 'special lens cleaner papers',.. or the really good Camera Lens cleaning kit from Jacks Camera Shop,... As frankly we are NOT dealing with Rocket Science here, so who cares, just give'um a puff and shirt / bluse tail shine, then go on WITHOUT those other hassels in life if you had gone trying to locate all that stuff. And Heaven forbid, if you scratched those plastic lenses, just act like its not there,... or you can't do that, just toss them AFTER you have a replacement pair. No sweat, they made more.
..... Then always keep a favorite pair carried with you. Or two pairs if you need for different focal distances. Or a pair to compliment your prescription glasses.
..... Then, no matter where you end up at,... when you need to see something a tad bit better, even if you forgot to bring the favorite pair or your prescription glasses, no worry, you have a pair already pre-positioned at arms reach..., EVERYWHERE you ever go sit. I've probibly accumulated around twenty-pairs by now.
..... Those reading glasses sometimes have high prices, but a trip to that 'everything for a dollar' store behind the Muncie Mall has them for a Dollar each, so grab a couple, they?re cheap there.
..... And you see again,.... and your world goes on,... alot happier

It's great to see someone with your perspective. Although I don't qualify for any "Senior Discounts" yet (LOL) I really do feel one is as young or old as they want to be. As I get older I plan to continue striving to be the most productive member of society as I can and keep learning new things...and most importantly, try to keep a positive attitude. In my opinion, those are the things that keep you young!